Winona runs a werewolf shelter with partner in crime, Odile in the Gothic city of Merlot. One day they take in an injured vampire, and soon unravels many of the dark secrets of Merlot.
Dumbing of Age
David M Willis
Joyce has been homeschooled her entire life until now, when she's suddenly a freshman in college! Things don't go well.
Mac Hall
Matt Boyd
The legendary early-aughts webcomic that inspired a wave of webcomic creators.
The Otherknown
Lorian Merriman
Chandra is a 12-year-old accidental time traveler with a reluctant new dad, who happens to be a member of a feared galactic crime syndicate.
Fantomestein
Beka Duke
Desperate for companionship, Frankenstein's Monster pretends to be the Opera Ghost. A grave mistake.
Countdown to Countdown
Velinxi
Iris Black is a self-proclaimed inventor with the curious ability to bring his drawings to life, and yearns to find a space where he can use his powers freely.
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
Namesake
Isa, Meg
There's ghosts at your heels and fairy tale worlds ahead. What do you do? Jump down the rabbit hole!
Beeserker
TJ Cordes
This comic is about a robot powered by bees, but it's also about the kind of people who think filling a robot with bees is a good idea, and why they're wrong.
2 Slices
RJ Morel
After a case of mistaken identity, will awkward Daisuke find help from excitable Mamo, or will his love life be thrown completely off track?
Slightly Damned
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Rhea Snaketail returns from the dead, befriending a Demon who falls in love with an Angel. The afterlife ain't what it used to be!
Blindsprings
Kadi Fedoruk
Tamaura, wrested into a world 300 years in the future, must find a way to save the magic fading from her country.
Guilded Age
T Campbell, John Waltrip, Florence Machina
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So drunk apparently she’s incapable of asking for sex? That denotes a drinking problem more then sexual freedom. I imagine Roz is very much in the “fully capable of consent” camp.
I think Billie’s ‘too drunk’ comment was an exaggeration. I often made similar statements when I was preparing for a mass extinction of brain cells. I don’t think Billie actually approves of being groped without consent.
Personally, I think some commenters here need to lighten up, you’re sounding a bit like Joyce. There’s nothing wrong – at all – with enjoying sex.
As Jk9000 says, on most characters that’d be a given. But we know for a fact one reality’s version of Billie was quite literally an alcoholic that bad, and this one has so far been established as the same in that regard.
Eehhh… women’s lib is about being their own person without having to have men demeaning them If she wants to be a sex object thats her choice as a woman. Snarking at her for doing it is no better than a guy slut-shaming her. Women have more power being feminine and using their sex than most realise.
There’s being open about her sexual desires, and then there’s wearing shirts to get guys for when she’s too drunk to even ask them to have sex with her.
And she knowing plans for that occasion, too. Oh, Billie.
Waitwaitwait wait. There was a huge discussion a few strips back about how great it is that Roz is trying to make it acceptable for girls to have as much sex as they want. Now, when we have a girl who’s trying to have as much sex as she wants, it’s not acceptable. What gives, people?
So what? Roz was lauded by half the board because she didn’t care about the negative consequences to others in her quest for sexual freedom. Why should Billie now have to do otherwise?
There is a concern that these statements could be seen, by some, as a statement that it is acceptable to have sex with people who are too drunk to talk. Not that this is the intention the author, I’m sure. But it’s still troubling. I’m guessing neither the feminists nor the more conservative folks here would go for that.
The big difference between Roz and Billie comes down to the word “beg”. Billie is willing to demean herself for sex, Roz never begged, nor did she act differently due to some chemical. She kept her dignity in a way that Billie hasn’t.
But then, that’s alcoholism for you, I guess. Thinking of, that may be the real problem. Roz hasn’t really harmed anyone unintentionally, she meant to hurt her sister. Billie is acting the way she does because of a disease which clouds her judgement. That’s pretty sad. I think it’s a big part of why Billie is my favourite character; she has the most growing up to do.
PERSON A: I like to give money to the homeless. And I’ll do do publically even though my sister’s policy is that homeless people don’t deserve our support, because I want to make the point that I think she’s wrong.
PERSON B: I’m going to get drunk and flash cash around until I’m mugged.
Yes,. these scenarios are clearly exactly the same.
Because Billie is enabling creepers and the scary I-don’t-need-to-treat-women-as-people-who-should-be-talked-to-them-to-get-what-I-want mentality, where as Roz was enabling women to admit if they want sex without feeling shame. Billie’s message is scary because not all women are Billie. Some may dress up to feel good about their bodies (or because it’s hot out and they’re prone to heat-stroke) in the way Billie dresses up to signal that she’s giving carte blanche consenting. Which is why frequent enthusiastic consent is a major point in feminism groups, with that as a standard it’s always clear and there’s less room for “it was just a misunderstanding, I didn’t mean to do anything wrong so I shouldn’t be punished.”
Because Roz is about having the choice and being able to make the choice. She’s in control of herself when she makes it, and goes into it fully of her own free will.
Billie is just being straight-up irresponsible. It’s one thing to want to get laid. It’s another entirely to get yourself so intoxicated you’re incapable of making the choice for yourself.
Basically, the objectionable part is that Billie doesn’t even really care whether or not she has control over the choice to have sex or not. Roz cares about having her choice. Hence why Roz is more sympathetic on this issue than Billie is.
I was on your side (as per my earlier post) but thinking about it the problem I have is that Billie seems to think her clothes will be ‘begging for it’. That makes me hugely uncomfortable, as it appears to support the notion that clothes = consent.
That being said, if she wants to go get drunk and fuck randoms, that’s her choice.
Yeah, I got a bit defensive on the wrong part there. Going back to where I started, why is Roz not a slut, but Billie is? Why are we shaming Billie, but not Roz? I mean, it’s perfectly fine to be upset about her clothing choice and the reasoning behind it. However, at the time I originally posted, most of the posts ragging on Billie did so because she wanted to have more sex than Roz, not because she thought it was okay to be used. The post I directly responded to said, in different words, “It’s perfectly fine to have sex with a few people, but God help you if you have sex with a lot of people.” And that’s where I really have a problem with the inconsistency here.
So you generalized ‘half the board’ off of one guys response?
Cause thats all there is. one guy. Everyone else before your post who dissaproved of billies actions had reasons that had next to NOTHING to do with SEX and most EVERYTHING to do with her planning an epic personal responsibility failure.
But you ignored that by pretending they all had the same reasons as the one person you gave as an example.
…..
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I LIKE IT!!!!
I’m going to generalize all women off of Billie!!!
Hey what are you doing? Quit squirming away and shouting, It makes it hard to do the sex.
Ya know, what Billie is endorsing here isn’t great (Revealing clothes are worn because women *want* to be taken advantage of!), but I’m always a little weirded out by the notion that every female at all times is personally responsible for maintaining her gender’s good image, or else Congress will rescind suffrage.
I don’t think anyone is saying that all women are like Billie, or that Billie proves that women aren’t entitled to XYZ. To me it sounds like people are saying that she (as a person, not as her gender) is stupid and what she’s saying is problematic.
Joe’s gotten crap for things that were equally creepy that he’s said here. I don’t see the sexism. Feminism doesn’t mean that women should be immune from any and all criticism. It means they should be treated as people, the same way men are. In 2008 nobody talked about how many children Biden had, or how sexually appealing he was or wasn’t, therefore bringing up those issues with Sarah Palin was sexist. Bringing up Palin’s lack of experience, or how bad her policy proposals are, on the other hand isn’t sexist, as that’s germane to her endeavors and male politicians have to go through that too.
I think you maybe read more into my comment than what was there? I don’t have a problem with criticizing what Billie said– I do it myself, you might have noticed– I’m just saying, “setting woman kind back 90 years” is a bizarre way to phrase that criticism.
I quoted you, JK9000, on facebook because I wholeheartedly agree with your position. It is completely irrational to think that a woman will no longer be a feminist if she chooses sexual licentiousness, housewifery, or to conform to a traditional image of womanhood. I believe the operative word there is “choose,” because feminism should be about giving women equal options as men, not conformity to a predetermined mode.
While I enjoy your attempt, the lyrics do not sync up in areas with the melody of the song, or they do, but only if you force them. Overall, a good attempt that can use some work (I swear I’m joking)
Thanks I was just joshing however. As I read the thread, the same song got into my head. If Aizat hadn’t made his post about the song, I would have :-). Since he already did, I just continued the thread :P. Though, yeah, I agree it definitely could use a lot of work
Joyce needs to experience the world, but she’s the kind who needs to be introduced to it sloooowly.
Taking her to the party at this point in her emotional development wouldn’t just be throwing her into the deep end. It would be throwing her into the deepend with cement shoes.
Despite his sexually enthusiastic nature, Joe is respectful of women’s right to consent. He wouldn’t ever force himself on someone who didn’t want to be with him.
You can not safely assume that is the case at a party full of drunk frat boys.
Depends on what you mean by “experience the world.” Some experiences, such as date rape or just forceful, drunken advances, aren’t something that enrich your life.
OTOH, Joyce has a pretty solid core in her beliefs that Sarah is underestimating by claiming (now twice) that she can’t stand up for herself under pressure from horny guys.
I would LOVE to see the chain of events beginning here that leads to President Parker. I’m guessing she becomes a key figure when Roz goes into politics herself, around the time that the Democratic Party gets sex-positive enough to include her, and from there it’s just a matter of using the old favor bank.
They were talking about American political parties, not Canadian. Besides, if Dorothy ran the NDP I would stop voting for them in the elections. I can’t stand Dorothy so far as a character.
of course it would be great if something happened at the party so that shell have to tell her grandkids that the reason she wasn’t president was because she DID wade through a college drunkfest
Yeah if I were Sarah I’d probably go with her as to be her backup. I know she has had crappy roommates, but she has big stick up her ass.
And good lord, I wouldn’t have thought Billie was that type (then again I’m relatively new to the Short Packed universe with this being my first comic).
I mean ugh I liked her character, but damn, but to actually say that, unless she was joking, MAJOR turnoff. I down with Roz and what she does but thats just… downright dirty.
Nice to see Sarah looking out for Joyce, but honestly Dorothy and Joyce will end up going to this party for the sake of the comic and the sake of our horrible obsession of seeing Joyce thrown into these situations.
Not like they’re just going to stay home and play Apples to Apples all ni….I’d be lying if I said that wouldn’t sound fun.
Besides, Dorothy and Joyce are perfect party buddies. Joyce is too borderline-oblivious/innocent to give in to any advances, will probably avoid any drinks like the plague lest she drink t3h ebil alcohols (and will either prevent Dorothy from doing so, or stick with her if she does), while Dorothy is worldy enough to watch Joyce from predators that come on subtley (or not so subtly). And she’ll probably have a can of pepper-spray.
Mike is not an option. Taking Mike to a party with you and trying to stay out of trouble is a dangerous proposition; he’d probably find some just to spite you. Or worse, he would be the trouble.
Y’know what? It’s possible to go to a beer-filled party and stay completely sober. I’ve done it, and my hyper-religious friend at IU (who became a nun recently) did it. So I don’t support Sarah one bit.
Yeah, but I’m guessing you and your friend are a little bit more well-balanced and worldly than Joyce here… People can go to these parties and watch out for themselves, sure, but there’s fair reason to think Joyce isn’t one of them.
I’m not really expecting another anti-joyce story in the dumbingverse though, so I’m sure she’ll make it through this just fine.
Answer: Attach mines to levitating napalm bombs where the bridge will appear. If the bridge even partially materializes, it’ll set off the mines, which will make the napalm explode all over the bridge and burn it to ashes.
It’s in the beta stages. The developers are trying to work on the levitation part but until then, tests utilizing string and steadi-cam technology have been successful.
You just meet a person, then you size ’em up as best you can. Then you close yourself off for a couple of hours and fall into your mind, using all your perceptions about this person to slowly craft a relationship with them. Get to know the mental version of them. Laugh with them, cry with them, form a bond of life experiences. Then, just when these inner-imaginary bridges are at their sturdiest, you burn them, thus resulting in outwardly inexplicable, but utterly genuine disdain for that person in real life!
Well that makes her reaction to Billie when I thought was their first meeting more understandable. It was weird though because Billie seemed like she never met her before, but she was probably too drunk to remember.
Panels 1-4 Sarah comes off as pretty pushy and judgmental, and not in the “I’m concerned and giving you tough love” kind of way either. Also finally seeing some of that knowitallism everyone keeps attributing to her and I keep saying isn’t there.
And then she gets cute in panel 5 when she lets her discomfort show. She’s like a hamster who’s just been told a cat is on the way. S’all good. S’all good. I got no problems with you Sal.
I’m pretty sure Sarah’s outlook on life is exactly why I’m 24, alone, and spend my nights on the computer. I NEVER went and hung out with people during college or high school.
Sarah would have a lot more credibility here if she had previously admitted to liking any social interaction at all. Even Joyce has more authority in social matters than she does.
Sad but true. At least, where casual social encounters are concerned. Drunkfests, however, are kinda beyond Joyce right now. I’ve been to more than one in my day. She’s got a one in two chance of walking in on premarital hanky-panky looking for the bathroom.
There is never a good time to take a fanatical church girl to a den of sin. Ever. It might not damage Joyce as much as most assume, since she can leave when she wants, unlike in IW! where she was forced to watch hanky-panky, but she wouldn’t thank you for inviting her.
This is Billie’s element, her home turf. Let her run free. She’ll fulfill the “bring a friend” requirement just by showing up (she’d probably go anyway) and can then be left to her own devices, leaving Dorothy free to track down Roz. Name one good reason to bring Joyce instead of Billie.
Rule of Funny, which “for teh lulz” is a variant of, is never inapplicable where Rule of Cool is, nor is Rule of Drama. I believe most of us have read enough of our esteemed writer here to understand that all three can, and probably will, be in play at the same time in his work.
I’d actually expect to Dorothy to get what she wants, and then leave. Though what will most likely happen is that she gets caught in a drinking game to get any answers. Or Joyce will have too much “Juice” if she goes.
Because Joyce would act as either a conscience or morality pet to keep her from doing something she might later regret in pursuit of a story.
Billie would either perform the opposite role to encourage her to do something regrettable or act so outrageously awful that she poisons the interaction between Roz and Dorothy by acting as a living “straw man” attack against Roz’s beliefs.
Sarah would have a lot more validity if she wasn’t trying to tell two people she’s known for under ten days how to conduct their social lives.
What’s that phrase? “The who give advice most freely often know the least”? Something like that. Can’t remember exactly how it goes, but you get the general idea.
I’m gonna guess that your quote definitely applies here. I’m not sure Sarah got out much the previous year (if at all), and she has a fracking huge bias against drug use of all kinds.
When they met. Joyce was all ‘she’s sharing our bathroom!’ and Sarah was all ‘you smell like booze. Keep the fuck away from me’ and Joyce got cranky and Sarah was all ‘get better friends!’ because Sarah is now Joyce’s cranky older sister.
Okay, Sarah’s going to far here. While I appreciate she’s only looking out for Dorothy and Joyce (no doubt she has a HORRIBLE experience at a party once, which might explain why she’s so against it), she really has no right to tell them what to do. It’s their decisions whether or not to go to the party.
And frankly, I highly doubt the College boys will be able to chew up Joye and spit her out. If anything, she’ll freak them all out by spewing tons of religions mumbo-jumbo about the evils of drink, premarital hanky-panky, and why they should convert to Christianity.
I personally think that Roz is _not_ the type to want to loose control in the suggested “drunkfests” everyone is implying. I might be one of those adult toy parties (Billie would be dissapointed at the lack of men), and trying to encourage women (like Billie) to take control of their sexuality rather than desire to be used or saved by a prince (shocker to Joyce). I think the build up to drunkfest is simply to through us all of the scent.
I think she’s both projecting and being protective. She’s obviously had some bad college experiences and she feels the other girls should avoid what happened to her. But she’s trying to be controlling rather than explaining things to them honestly.
I can sort of understand why she thinks it would be a bad idea for Joyce to go, but why in the world is she even concerned about Dorothy? She’s had like one conversation with her and she’s already deciding what’s best for her? wtf
Sarah did put a lot of investment into that conversation, though. I mean here is the one OTHER person who isn’t here for anything other than studying and furthering one’s self. She cannot let her fall like this!
I fail to see what investment Sarah put in with that conversation. Dorothy just decided to sit down at her table during lunch and told her that she just wanted to learn and become successful and not get distracted, and Sarah just said ‘good for you’. It’s not like they became close friends or anything.
I haven’t been on the comments lately, but it just dawned on me that all we know about the party is that Roz wants Dot to bring a friend. And that Dot’s not wearing anything appropriate. We have no idea what the party is going to be about!
Good point. The mystery of what kind of party it will be remains. We did learn in this strip that upper classmen are assumed to be involved. But little else. It would be funny if after all the handwringing it is some foreign film apreciation society, or maybe a quiche recipe exchange.
C’mon. Having sex with Joe is way different than stranger-hunting. Joe’s horny, maybe even on the hunt, but that’s different from being a predator. Billie’s looking for a predator who’s likely a jerk. Don’t help the jerks get laid. Roz is way more responsible than the drunken harlot Billie.
I wondered on first reading if they’d known each other before university, but then I realised – it’s possible the sad truth really is that that brief exchange in the ladies’ was the closest thing to a social situation Sarah has nowadays, and she could have considered just existing in the same room to be a bridge.
Man am I the only one who can’t stand sarah? It’s one thing to have your own opinoins but quite another to be a complete fun vampire. In my experience most people actually try to ENJOY college.
I promise, you aren’t the only one. I’m busy wondering when, exactly, she appointed herself everyone’s mother.
And really, when you get down to it, she’s really not concerned with Joyce (or Dorothy, or etc.). She’s concerned with her own personal peace and quiet and how other people’s fun might possibly inconvenience her. This comic makes that pretty clear.
Actually, the following comic shows that Sarah does care about Joyce (I apologize for not knowing how to make a link out of words instead of copying the address)
Yeah, I wonder if it’s going to be frat drunkfest or some BDSM or other sex+ party.
Given her force of enraged personality and low odds of getting date-rape-drug in the mood of this comic, bringing Joyce to a drunkfest would probably be cruel to the fratboys and Billies. Ask Joe. From both the ‘date’ and from class… Cruel, but funny.
I got “banned” from reading Shortpacked (I can’t open it, I just get a ban page) and I don’t know why…I’ve never done anything but read the comic…I haven’t ever even commented. Don’t know who I would tell this to, but anybody else having this problem?
Where is this long-lauded, unwritten rule that experiencing all life has to offer means you WILLINGLY WALK INTO BULLSHIT SITUATIONS?
Seriously, why do some people feel the need to go to a drunken, sex-filled, drug-hazed party….knowing that’s pretty much all it’s going to be? Why is it that when you’re showing the world that you’re “all grown up”, it’s doing immature shit like said partying, along with acting & dressing indecently?
It’s possible to acknowledge the existence of that lifestyle without actually having to see or *shudder* partake of it.
Well, Dorothy is going because she gets an interview out of it. Cuz, you know, sometimes journalists have to go do dumb things and go bad places to get them. Billie is going because she likes that lifestyle, and Joyce is evidently going so Dorothy has some backup. You can argue that Billie has bad motivations, but not the other two.
First, I’d like to say that JEEBUS people are going all spaz-feminazi in here.
Ad hominem aside, I see two possibilities for the last panel: 1) Billie is being her usual sardonic self, or 2) she really loves the sex and the drinking. The former case is neither here nor there morally, and the latter case should be Billie’s to decide to take. Why would she be “setting womankind back 90 years” or some such when sheis only doing what it takes to get what she likes?
On a side note, I’d totally tap that – cute half-Japanese girl with glasses? Oh yeah!
I remember when I transferred to a large university from a junior college as a junior and heard upperclassmen refer to freshman girls as “seal pups” because they were so naive and defenseless and easy prey. It infuriated me. I DO feel awful when young girls get taken advantage of like that. =(
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Oh Billie, setting woman kind back 90 years.
But the 1920s were a great time for women’s lib.
You mean by being open about her sexual desires?
No, by setting herself up solely as a sexual object.
Setting herself up? She’s openly stating “I want to get drunk and laid tonight” of her own free will. I think she and Roz will get on great.
So drunk apparently she’s incapable of asking for sex? That denotes a drinking problem more then sexual freedom. I imagine Roz is very much in the “fully capable of consent” camp.
I think Billie’s ‘too drunk’ comment was an exaggeration. I often made similar statements when I was preparing for a mass extinction of brain cells. I don’t think Billie actually approves of being groped without consent.
Personally, I think some commenters here need to lighten up, you’re sounding a bit like Joyce. There’s nothing wrong – at all – with enjoying sex.
Now that you say that, that makes sense. It’d be more willing to take it as a joke if Billie weren’t an alcoholic, tho.
As Jk9000 says, on most characters that’d be a given. But we know for a fact one reality’s version of Billie was quite literally an alcoholic that bad, and this one has so far been established as the same in that regard.
I’ve never understood why someone can’t enjoy sex and still suggest people not go around doing it a lot. The two are rather different points.
If you had gone to college you’d realize that it’s not a drinking problem until you graduate.
Eehhh… women’s lib is about being their own person without having to have men demeaning them If she wants to be a sex object thats her choice as a woman. Snarking at her for doing it is no better than a guy slut-shaming her. Women have more power being feminine and using their sex than most realise.
There’s being open about her sexual desires, and then there’s wearing shirts to get guys for when she’s too drunk to even ask them to have sex with her.
And she knowing plans for that occasion, too. Oh, Billie.
Agreed. There’s nothing wrong with going around the block a few times. It’s something else entirely to be public transportation.
Waitwaitwait wait. There was a huge discussion a few strips back about how great it is that Roz is trying to make it acceptable for girls to have as much sex as they want. Now, when we have a girl who’s trying to have as much sex as she wants, it’s not acceptable. What gives, people?
Because she’s perpetuating the idea that it’s okay to take advantage of girls. Roz was advocating choice and that it was hers alone.
So what? Roz was lauded by half the board because she didn’t care about the negative consequences to others in her quest for sexual freedom. Why should Billie now have to do otherwise?
Ever think the people you are arguing with are part of the ‘Other half of the board’?
You know the ones that didnt laud Roz?
And really what Billies doing isnt anything close to what Roz claimed she was doing, or actually did.
There is a concern that these statements could be seen, by some, as a statement that it is acceptable to have sex with people who are too drunk to talk. Not that this is the intention the author, I’m sure. But it’s still troubling. I’m guessing neither the feminists nor the more conservative folks here would go for that.
The big difference between Roz and Billie comes down to the word “beg”. Billie is willing to demean herself for sex, Roz never begged, nor did she act differently due to some chemical. She kept her dignity in a way that Billie hasn’t.
But then, that’s alcoholism for you, I guess. Thinking of, that may be the real problem. Roz hasn’t really harmed anyone unintentionally, she meant to hurt her sister. Billie is acting the way she does because of a disease which clouds her judgement. That’s pretty sad. I think it’s a big part of why Billie is my favourite character; she has the most growing up to do.
PERSON A: I like to give money to the homeless. And I’ll do do publically even though my sister’s policy is that homeless people don’t deserve our support, because I want to make the point that I think she’s wrong.
PERSON B: I’m going to get drunk and flash cash around until I’m mugged.
Yes,. these scenarios are clearly exactly the same.
Because Billie is enabling creepers and the scary I-don’t-need-to-treat-women-as-people-who-should-be-talked-to-them-to-get-what-I-want mentality, where as Roz was enabling women to admit if they want sex without feeling shame. Billie’s message is scary because not all women are Billie. Some may dress up to feel good about their bodies (or because it’s hot out and they’re prone to heat-stroke) in the way Billie dresses up to signal that she’s giving carte blanche consenting. Which is why frequent enthusiastic consent is a major point in feminism groups, with that as a standard it’s always clear and there’s less room for “it was just a misunderstanding, I didn’t mean to do anything wrong so I shouldn’t be punished.”
Because Roz is about having the choice and being able to make the choice. She’s in control of herself when she makes it, and goes into it fully of her own free will.
Billie is just being straight-up irresponsible. It’s one thing to want to get laid. It’s another entirely to get yourself so intoxicated you’re incapable of making the choice for yourself.
Basically, the objectionable part is that Billie doesn’t even really care whether or not she has control over the choice to have sex or not. Roz cares about having her choice. Hence why Roz is more sympathetic on this issue than Billie is.
I was on your side (as per my earlier post) but thinking about it the problem I have is that Billie seems to think her clothes will be ‘begging for it’. That makes me hugely uncomfortable, as it appears to support the notion that clothes = consent.
That being said, if she wants to go get drunk and fuck randoms, that’s her choice.
Yeah, I got a bit defensive on the wrong part there. Going back to where I started, why is Roz not a slut, but Billie is? Why are we shaming Billie, but not Roz? I mean, it’s perfectly fine to be upset about her clothing choice and the reasoning behind it. However, at the time I originally posted, most of the posts ragging on Billie did so because she wanted to have more sex than Roz, not because she thought it was okay to be used. The post I directly responded to said, in different words, “It’s perfectly fine to have sex with a few people, but God help you if you have sex with a lot of people.” And that’s where I really have a problem with the inconsistency here.
Agreed.
So you generalized ‘half the board’ off of one guys response?
Cause thats all there is. one guy. Everyone else before your post who dissaproved of billies actions had reasons that had next to NOTHING to do with SEX and most EVERYTHING to do with her planning an epic personal responsibility failure.
But you ignored that by pretending they all had the same reasons as the one person you gave as an example.
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I LIKE IT!!!!
I’m going to generalize all women off of Billie!!!
Hey what are you doing? Quit squirming away and shouting, It makes it hard to do the sex.
Even Jesus loved the whores
Ya know, what Billie is endorsing here isn’t great (Revealing clothes are worn because women *want* to be taken advantage of!), but I’m always a little weirded out by the notion that every female at all times is personally responsible for maintaining her gender’s good image, or else Congress will rescind suffrage.
I don’t think anyone is saying that all women are like Billie, or that Billie proves that women aren’t entitled to XYZ. To me it sounds like people are saying that she (as a person, not as her gender) is stupid and what she’s saying is problematic.
Joe’s gotten crap for things that were equally creepy that he’s said here. I don’t see the sexism. Feminism doesn’t mean that women should be immune from any and all criticism. It means they should be treated as people, the same way men are. In 2008 nobody talked about how many children Biden had, or how sexually appealing he was or wasn’t, therefore bringing up those issues with Sarah Palin was sexist. Bringing up Palin’s lack of experience, or how bad her policy proposals are, on the other hand isn’t sexist, as that’s germane to her endeavors and male politicians have to go through that too.
I think you maybe read more into my comment than what was there? I don’t have a problem with criticizing what Billie said– I do it myself, you might have noticed– I’m just saying, “setting woman kind back 90 years” is a bizarre way to phrase that criticism.
I quoted you, JK9000, on facebook because I wholeheartedly agree with your position. It is completely irrational to think that a woman will no longer be a feminist if she chooses sexual licentiousness, housewifery, or to conform to a traditional image of womanhood. I believe the operative word there is “choose,” because feminism should be about giving women equal options as men, not conformity to a predetermined mode.
Because heaven forbid she’s doing this because she wants to do it for herself.
They burnt bridges? Talk about public menace!
Do you know that they cut ties too?
Someone call the fashion police.
Yeah! We need more fuel! Keep the bridge burning!
we don’t need no water let the m—-r f—-r burn
And if the police asked, we didn’t start the fire. It’s been always burning since the world’s been turning.
*groan*
C’mon. It’s not that bad.
Maybe…
Probably not as bad as the reply I was going to make to Izzy about water under the bridge …
Billie, Sal, Joe today, Joyce left for church to pray,
Sarah was the one who burnt the bridges though
Roz, Robin made the scene, Leslie could not stop blushing,
Don’t fuck in my property and peace out said the deano
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No we didn’t light it
But we tried to fight it
While I enjoy your attempt, the lyrics do not sync up in areas with the melody of the song, or they do, but only if you force them. Overall, a good attempt that can use some work (I swear I’m joking)
Thanks
I was just joshing however. As I read the thread, the same song got into my head. If Aizat hadn’t made his post about the song, I would have :-). Since he already did, I just continued the thread :P. Though, yeah, I agree it definitely could use a lot of work 
Yeah, why would Joyce ever want to experience the world?
Dag, Sarah. Don’t trust Dorothy to be able to just stand by and watch (and carry a fresh can of Mace).
Joyce needs to experience the world, but she’s the kind who needs to be introduced to it sloooowly.
Taking her to the party at this point in her emotional development wouldn’t just be throwing her into the deep end. It would be throwing her into the deepend with cement shoes.
Very slowly.
Possibly at a negative velocity, lest her mind goeth asplodey.
I dont know about that, I mean she went on a date with Joe and fared better that he did. Besides, she could pay mike to guard her.
Despite his sexually enthusiastic nature, Joe is respectful of women’s right to consent. He wouldn’t ever force himself on someone who didn’t want to be with him.
You can not safely assume that is the case at a party full of drunk frat boys.
Depends on what you mean by “experience the world.” Some experiences, such as date rape or just forceful, drunken advances, aren’t something that enrich your life.
OTOH, Joyce has a pretty solid core in her beliefs that Sarah is underestimating by claiming (now twice) that she can’t stand up for herself under pressure from horny guys.
Sarah, you burn bridges with everybody.
“Woah, I’ve never done a Burned Bridge with you, Sarah! You wish. Though…odds are I might be doing one later on tonight!”
Wow, she thinks she’ll be President because of this? Now THAT’S an optimistic outlook in life.
Making friends with the sister of a Congresswoman could easily be a leg up.
Depends on the MP.
And fucking the sister of a congresswoman is definitely the easiest way to get a leg up. Both even…while braced against the headboard.
More like the easiest way to get a leg over.
I would LOVE to see the chain of events beginning here that leads to President Parker. I’m guessing she becomes a key figure when Roz goes into politics herself, around the time that the Democratic Party gets sex-positive enough to include her, and from there it’s just a matter of using the old favor bank.
I think you got your Dorothies crossed.
Wait, what political party would Dorothy be in?
Green Party.
Of course the opposition might use the pics from her drunken frat party escapade to discredit her…
aww, who cares? Vote Dorothy! Yes she can!
Dorothy is pretty career minded, and as I understand it the Greens in America aren’t winning elections yet. She’s a democrat.
Now Roz I could see running for the presidency on a Green ticket. I’d vote for her.
NDP.
The only party I can know of with those letters is the NDSP, and I know you don’t mean that.
I googled and got this answer:
National Dryland Salinity Program
Unfortunately, not that innocuous…
That would have made WWII a lot more interesting, but I meant the Nazi party. And, sadly, put down the wrong abbreviation…should’ve been NSDAP.
New Democratic Party.
They were talking about American political parties, not Canadian. Besides, if Dorothy ran the NDP I would stop voting for them in the elections. I can’t stand Dorothy so far as a character.
Where’s that edit feature
No, but she can say that she probably *won’t* be President if she folds under nerves and fear of the unknown.
of course it would be great if something happened at the party so that shell have to tell her grandkids that the reason she wasn’t president was because she DID wade through a college drunkfest
For a nickel.
And came home with $5.65.
Yeah if I were Sarah I’d probably go with her as to be her backup. I know she has had crappy roommates, but she has big stick up her ass.
And good lord, I wouldn’t have thought Billie was that type (then again I’m relatively new to the Short Packed universe with this being my first comic).
I mean ugh I liked her character, but damn, but to actually say that, unless she was joking, MAJOR turnoff. I down with Roz and what she does but thats just… downright dirty.
Madness! This. Ain’t. Walky!verse.
Also, Ethan is gay and Joe was asked permission.
Nice to see Sarah looking out for Joyce, but honestly Dorothy and Joyce will end up going to this party for the sake of the comic and the sake of our horrible obsession of seeing Joyce thrown into these situations.
Not like they’re just going to stay home and play Apples to Apples all ni….I’d be lying if I said that wouldn’t sound fun.
Besides, Dorothy and Joyce are perfect party buddies. Joyce is too borderline-oblivious/innocent to give in to any advances, will probably avoid any drinks like the plague lest she drink t3h ebil alcohols (and will either prevent Dorothy from doing so, or stick with her if she does), while Dorothy is worldy enough to watch Joyce from predators that come on subtley (or not so subtly). And she’ll probably have a can of pepper-spray.
Mike is not an option. Taking Mike to a party with you and trying to stay out of trouble is a dangerous proposition; he’d probably find some just to spite you. Or worse, he would be the trouble.
Or worse, he’d start drinking and get nice.
Thus resulting in JoycexMike or DorothyxMike.
Hilarity ensues.
She’s only looking out for Joyce’s best interest and mental stability.
…well her best interest anyway…
Y’know what? It’s possible to go to a beer-filled party and stay completely sober. I’ve done it, and my hyper-religious friend at IU (who became a nun recently) did it. So I don’t support Sarah one bit.
But that punchline is great.
Yeah, but I’m guessing you and your friend are a little bit more well-balanced and worldly than Joyce here… People can go to these parties and watch out for themselves, sure, but there’s fair reason to think Joyce isn’t one of them.
I’m not really expecting another anti-joyce story in the dumbingverse though, so I’m sure she’ll make it through this just fine.
Billie, please wear that!
Question: How can you burn the bridge from someone you never connected with in the first place?
Answer: Attach mines to levitating napalm bombs where the bridge will appear. If the bridge even partially materializes, it’ll set off the mines, which will make the napalm explode all over the bridge and burn it to ashes.
This technology exists?
this is the internet….if you want it to, it does
And that’s what science is all about!
It’s in the beta stages. The developers are trying to work on the levitation part but until then, tests utilizing string and steadi-cam technology have been successful.
That’s the answer I’m after.
What can I say — we do what we must.
Because we can.
For the good of all of us?
Except for those who are dead.
Have YOU heard of any bridges materializing out of nowhere? No? Well then, it’s because they were napalm’d upon maifestation. Proof positive.
She massacred all the workmen before they started construction.
Alright, so here’s what you do.
You just meet a person, then you size ’em up as best you can. Then you close yourself off for a couple of hours and fall into your mind, using all your perceptions about this person to slowly craft a relationship with them. Get to know the mental version of them. Laugh with them, cry with them, form a bond of life experiences. Then, just when these inner-imaginary bridges are at their sturdiest, you burn them, thus resulting in outwardly inexplicable, but utterly genuine disdain for that person in real life!
Fasinating answer *strokes chin*
Or you could just use a flamethrower. Or a hairspray and a match.
Counter-question: Why do you believe they’ve never met before?
(It’s not uncommon to have friends or at least to know people from grades above and below you in high school.)
Never mind. Found their first conversation:
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/05-media-rumble/neighbor/
The fact that I can’t tell for sure if Billie is joking in the last panel is making me regret voting for Billie for favorite DoA character.
Billie: the absolute PICTURE of class.
It rhymes with class at least.
And crass and ass but I’m not judging anybody.
Don’t Explain the Joke
YOU HAVE BEEN TROPED!
Hur hur, picture of ass.
Where did the pregnant come from?
Usually semen.
I lol’d.
I know that. It’s just odd that sarah put more emphasis on that than stoned.
Being stoned goes away a lot quicker.
They are both caused by something in the air. Either smoke or legs.
I don’t think being pelted with stone can go away quickly.
You know, ’cause you can never abort a drug addiction.
And what causes it at the other times?
Airborn spores?
Mike. Any questions?
I guess that’s how Mike screws so many mothers, he makes them that way.
Jizz.
I learnt something new today, semen and jizz are two different things.
Storks. Why do you think they deliver babies in the first place.
Union rules?
JESUS. Haven’t you people been paying any attention to Joyce at all? For god’s sake….
Or Marines.
The same place where babies come from. Cleveland.
Joyce, remember how you said you’d rebel, but your parents wouldn’t let you?
Where are your parents now?!?!
She’d probably call and ask for permission first.
They’re rebelling against society when Joyce isn’t looking.
Don’t forget about the whole “REALLY Good Book” thing in the other ‘verse.
Seriously, make Sarah stop talking. She makes me rage.
Yeah, her attitude puts the poop in party pooper.
Well that makes her reaction to Billie when I thought was their first meeting more understandable. It was weird though because Billie seemed like she never met her before, but she was probably too drunk to remember.
Wow. Sarah really has some hangups doesn’t she?
Panels 1-4 Sarah comes off as pretty pushy and judgmental, and not in the “I’m concerned and giving you tough love” kind of way either. Also finally seeing some of that knowitallism everyone keeps attributing to her and I keep saying isn’t there.
And then she gets cute in panel 5 when she lets her discomfort show. She’s like a hamster who’s just been told a cat is on the way. S’all good. S’all good. I got no problems with you Sal.
I’m pretty sure Sarah’s outlook on life is exactly why I’m 24, alone, and spend my nights on the computer. I NEVER went and hung out with people during college or high school.
WELP, time to make up for lost time…
Pssh. Hanging out is totally overrated.
Sarah would have a lot more credibility here if she had previously admitted to liking any social interaction at all. Even Joyce has more authority in social matters than she does.
Sad but true. At least, where casual social encounters are concerned. Drunkfests, however, are kinda beyond Joyce right now. I’ve been to more than one in my day. She’s got a one in two chance of walking in on premarital hanky-panky looking for the bathroom.
There is never a good time to take a fanatical church girl to a den of sin. Ever. It might not damage Joyce as much as most assume, since she can leave when she wants, unlike in IW! where she was forced to watch hanky-panky, but she wouldn’t thank you for inviting her.
This is Billie’s element, her home turf. Let her run free. She’ll fulfill the “bring a friend” requirement just by showing up (she’d probably go anyway) and can then be left to her own devices, leaving Dorothy free to track down Roz. Name one good reason to bring Joyce instead of Billie.
Because it would be halarious.
“For the Lulz” isn’t an applicable answer here.
“Rule of Cool”, however, is.
Rule of Funny, which “for teh lulz” is a variant of, is never inapplicable where Rule of Cool is, nor is Rule of Drama. I believe most of us have read enough of our esteemed writer here to understand that all three can, and probably will, be in play at the same time in his work.
By the by, always glad to ruin someone’s life with those links ;D
TV Tropes Will Ruin your life, Boya.
I’d actually expect to Dorothy to get what she wants, and then leave. Though what will most likely happen is that she gets caught in a drinking game to get any answers. Or Joyce will have too much “Juice” if she goes.
Because Joyce would be outraged and then have Mike pummel everyone into unconsciousness.
Because Joyce would act as either a conscience or morality pet to keep her from doing something she might later regret in pursuit of a story.
Billie would either perform the opposite role to encourage her to do something regrettable or act so outrageously awful that she poisons the interaction between Roz and Dorothy by acting as a living “straw man” attack against Roz’s beliefs.
Sarah would have a lot more validity if she wasn’t trying to tell two people she’s known for under ten days how to conduct their social lives.
What’s that phrase? “The who give advice most freely often know the least”? Something like that. Can’t remember exactly how it goes, but you get the general idea.
I’m gonna guess that your quote definitely applies here. I’m not sure Sarah got out much the previous year (if at all), and she has a fracking huge bias against drug use of all kinds.
…I must not have been paying good attention, when did she do the metaphorical act of burning her bridges?
When they met. Joyce was all ‘she’s sharing our bathroom!’ and Sarah was all ‘you smell like booze. Keep the fuck away from me’ and Joyce got cranky and Sarah was all ‘get better friends!’ because Sarah is now Joyce’s cranky older sister.
Intelligent politically minded liberal women are amazingly hot. I’m talking to you apathetic reality show watchers!
Billie’s line about not being “sober enough to beg for it myself,” left me feeling very uncomfortable after reading this strip.
Sarah’s managing to be both draconian & overreacting (everyone that’s not Joyce) AND utterly right (Joyce) in the same strip! Damn.
I want to have Sarah’s babies. I would be man-preggers for her.
Are you going to name it Junior?
Okay, Sarah’s going to far here. While I appreciate she’s only looking out for Dorothy and Joyce (no doubt she has a HORRIBLE experience at a party once, which might explain why she’s so against it), she really has no right to tell them what to do. It’s their decisions whether or not to go to the party.
And frankly, I highly doubt the College boys will be able to chew up Joye and spit her out. If anything, she’ll freak them all out by spewing tons of religions mumbo-jumbo about the evils of drink, premarital hanky-panky, and why they should convert to Christianity.
I personally think that Roz is _not_ the type to want to loose control in the suggested “drunkfests” everyone is implying. I might be one of those adult toy parties (Billie would be dissapointed at the lack of men), and trying to encourage women (like Billie) to take control of their sexuality rather than desire to be used or saved by a prince (shocker to Joyce). I think the build up to drunkfest is simply to through us all of the scent.
I can’t decide whether Sarah is being protective, or just showing off her cowardice.
I’m sure Sarah means well, but her approach to the situation isn’t exactly tactful.
I think she’s both projecting and being protective. She’s obviously had some bad college experiences and she feels the other girls should avoid what happened to her. But she’s trying to be controlling rather than explaining things to them honestly.
Yes, Muuuuuum.
*sullenface*
Epic with that gravatar.
I can sort of understand why she thinks it would be a bad idea for Joyce to go, but why in the world is she even concerned about Dorothy? She’s had like one conversation with her and she’s already deciding what’s best for her? wtf
Sarah did put a lot of investment into that conversation, though. I mean here is the one OTHER person who isn’t here for anything other than studying and furthering one’s self. She cannot let her fall like this!
I fail to see what investment Sarah put in with that conversation. Dorothy just decided to sit down at her table during lunch and told her that she just wanted to learn and become successful and not get distracted, and Sarah just said ‘good for you’. It’s not like they became close friends or anything.
I haven’t been on the comments lately, but it just dawned on me that all we know about the party is that Roz wants Dot to bring a friend. And that Dot’s not wearing anything appropriate. We have no idea what the party is going to be about!
Good point. The mystery of what kind of party it will be remains. We did learn in this strip that upper classmen are assumed to be involved. But little else. It would be funny if after all the handwringing it is some foreign film apreciation society, or maybe a quiche recipe exchange.
Actually, all we know is that Sarah SAID that there would be upper classmen there. She’s jumped to conclusions before, though.
Because they’re all expecting a typical college drunk-fest, I predict that Roz has actually invited them to a sex-positive womyn’s drum circle
C’mon. Having sex with Joe is way different than stranger-hunting. Joe’s horny, maybe even on the hunt, but that’s different from being a predator. Billie’s looking for a predator who’s likely a jerk. Don’t help the jerks get laid. Roz is way more responsible than the drunken harlot Billie.
I honestly don’t remember Sarah and Billie having built any bridges to burn. Were they ever friends?
I wondered on first reading if they’d known each other before university, but then I realised – it’s possible the sad truth really is that that brief exchange in the ladies’ was the closest thing to a social situation Sarah has nowadays, and she could have considered just existing in the same room to be a bridge.
Man am I the only one who can’t stand sarah? It’s one thing to have your own opinoins but quite another to be a complete fun vampire. In my experience most people actually try to ENJOY college.
I promise, you aren’t the only one. I’m busy wondering when, exactly, she appointed herself everyone’s mother.
And really, when you get down to it, she’s really not concerned with Joyce (or Dorothy, or etc.). She’s concerned with her own personal peace and quiet and how other people’s fun might possibly inconvenience her. This comic makes that pretty clear.
She’s a year older, right? That entitles her to the cynicism that comes with knowing everything.
D’awww. Sarah really does care about Joyce! This strip was pretty heartwarming.
Nah, she doesn’t care about Joyce at all. She’s just worried about having her own peace and quiet interrupted.
Actually, the following comic shows that Sarah does care about Joyce (I apologize for not knowing how to make a link out of words instead of copying the address)
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/05-media-rumble/break/
I think she cares more about the concept of a pure unbroken person than about Joyce the person. And she cares about the quiet even more than that.
Yeah, I wonder if it’s going to be frat drunkfest or some BDSM or other sex+ party.
Given her force of enraged personality and low odds of getting date-rape-drug in the mood of this comic, bringing Joyce to a drunkfest would probably be cruel to the fratboys and Billies. Ask Joe. From both the ‘date’ and from class… Cruel, but funny.
Is it just me? I thought Billie was ladling on the sarcasm…
I got “banned” from reading Shortpacked (I can’t open it, I just get a ban page) and I don’t know why…I’ve never done anything but read the comic…I haven’t ever even commented. Don’t know who I would tell this to, but anybody else having this problem?
Kinky.
Wow, that last panel got a little dark.
Am I, like, the only person who thinks it’s pretty obvious that Billie is pulling Sarah’s chain?
Where is this long-lauded, unwritten rule that experiencing all life has to offer means you WILLINGLY WALK INTO BULLSHIT SITUATIONS?
Seriously, why do some people feel the need to go to a drunken, sex-filled, drug-hazed party….knowing that’s pretty much all it’s going to be? Why is it that when you’re showing the world that you’re “all grown up”, it’s doing immature shit like said partying, along with acting & dressing indecently?
It’s possible to acknowledge the existence of that lifestyle without actually having to see or *shudder* partake of it.
Well, Dorothy is going because she gets an interview out of it. Cuz, you know, sometimes journalists have to go do dumb things and go bad places to get them. Billie is going because she likes that lifestyle, and Joyce is evidently going so Dorothy has some backup. You can argue that Billie has bad motivations, but not the other two.
Billie needs Joe’s CLASSY shirt.
First, I’d like to say that JEEBUS people are going all spaz-feminazi in here.
Ad hominem aside, I see two possibilities for the last panel: 1) Billie is being her usual sardonic self, or 2) she really loves the sex and the drinking. The former case is neither here nor there morally, and the latter case should be Billie’s to decide to take. Why would she be “setting womankind back 90 years” or some such when sheis only doing what it takes to get what she likes?
On a side note, I’d totally tap that – cute half-Japanese girl with glasses? Oh yeah!
Feminazis, because wanting equality is totally the same as genocide.
I remember when I transferred to a large university from a junior college as a junior and heard upperclassmen refer to freshman girls as “seal pups” because they were so naive and defenseless and easy prey. It infuriated me. I DO feel awful when young girls get taken advantage of like that. =(